


Multitasking (Or, Tony Stark Knows How to Delegate)

by TheShadowPanther



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, No One Left Behind, Sexism, Tony Stark Has A Heart, especially not in an illegal prison that no one knows about, they may not be his team anymore but tony knows they don't belong there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 09:38:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14566227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShadowPanther/pseuds/TheShadowPanther
Summary: "FRIDAY, call Pepper and tell her to get SI's legal department rolling, pronto. There's a couple of people who are in the wrong place.""On it, boss."-How the breakout from the RAFT really should have happened.





	Multitasking (Or, Tony Stark Knows How to Delegate)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Done](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6811711) by [ficlicious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficlicious/pseuds/ficlicious). 



> I was reading ficlicious’s _Aftermath_ series for the zillionth time when something in that fic reminded me of another fic (I have no idea which one, I'm so sorry) talking about how Steve only needed to wait a few days before Tony could legally gotten the Ex-Vengers out of the RAFT. It got me to thinking: How long is it from the RAFT to Siberia again? Even in a suit, it’s hours. Plenty of time to get all sorts of shit done, no? 
> 
> NB: I have not seen Civil War, but I did watch the scene where Tony visits the RAFT to make sure my details were correct. Other than that, nope. I took the nope train to Nopeville, Nopewhere where I live in blissful, nope-filled denial. Shh, enjoy the bliss with me.

"FRIDAY, call Pepper and tell her to get SI's legal department rolling, pronto. There's a couple of people who are in the wrong place." 

_"On it, boss."_

:~:~:~:

Pepper stalks down the corridor, her rage increasing with each step she takes. This is what's happened to the Avengers? Granted, she's not as invested in them as Tony is, in fact she thinks he would be better off without them, but that's for Tony to decide.

(She thinks now he'll see why she was concerned.) 

The point is, this is not where she should be spending her time, not when there are a million other things she has on her plate, and the simple fact of this: the RAFT is illegal. It's also for enhanced people. None of the people she's here for fit that description (except Wanda Maximoff, and of all the "Avengers," Pepper is the most conflicted about her). So why are they here? In dirty cells with nothing but a bedraggled cot for company, and half of those looking one human weight away from collapsing. 

Then she comes upon the people she seeks, and God. 

It's a good thing she doesn't have Extremis anymore, because the entire prison would have blown sky-high otherwise. 

"Get these people out of here," she snips at the Warden. "And take those... things off of her!" 

"Ma'am, I don't think—" the warden tries. 

Pepper whirls. "I. Don't. Care. What. You think. That collar and straitjacket are a disgusting violation of human rights. You will take them off of her, and you will burn them, or so help me, the lawsuits SI will be bringing against this hellhole will be the least of your worries." 

"Ms. Potts—"

"Do you understand me?" Pepper doesn't have the breadth across her shoulders that the warden does, but she's faced plenty of recalcitrant board members. Under her glare, the warden hesitates, glances at Happy next to her. Gritting her teeth, Pepper makes a note to find the warden's name and to sue him personally, take him for everything down to his foundation and further, if possible. 

Finally, the warden sighs, but retrieves his keys and gets to work on Sam's cell. 

"Ms. Potts?" Speaking of Sam, he has a very confused but hopeful look on his face. "What, uh, what are you doing here?" 

"What does it look like?" she snaps. Happy's hand at her elbow steadies her, reminds her to take a deep breath. "We are here because your detention in this facility is illegal. Although you broke several laws and caused untold millions in property damage, that does not mean you should have been remanded here. You haven't even had your trials yet, for heaven's sake!" 

Oh, look, there goes her calm again. Sam's sitting back, eyes wide, while two down from him, Clint snorts an ugly laugh. 

"Don't think that matters much to people like Stark," he comments with a sneer. 

Pepper turns to him slowly. Now she is ice where she was fire, her rage flash frozen into a glacier in her veins. "Tony," she says with a tone to match her insides, "is the one who called me and told me you were here." _and to get you out,_ she leaves unsaid. 

By Clint's paling face, she sees she doesn't have to. Satisfied, she turns to Vision. "Vision, if you would please take custody of Mr. Wilson?" 

"Of course, Ms. Potts." Vision steps forward. "Mr. Wilson." 

"Vision." Sam seems old all of a sudden, like he's aged twenty years in a second. "How's... how's Rhodes?" 

"Colonel Rhodes is stable, Mr. Wilson. Other than that, I am not at liberty to say." 

Grief contorts Sam's features. "Right. Thanks for telling me what you could, at least." 

"Uh, lady?" 

Pepper turns to face the last person in this bloc. He matches the picture FRIDAY pulled up for her, so she assumes this is Scott Lang, the man in the Pym suit who grew impossibly large at Leipzig-Halle. "Yes?" 

"Does this jailbreak include me, too?" Scott is halfway between hope and resignation. "Just, I was with these guys, so if they're being sprung..." 

"Yes, Mr. Lang, you're 'being sprung,' too," Vision says before Pepper has to. "And Wanda, as soon as Mr. Zaleri removes the collar and straitjacket." 

Right, Zaleri is the warden's name. Pepper keeps her smile tight, lest it come out as a baring of her teeth otherwise, as first Clint, then Lang come out of their cells. Zaleri is noticeably slower to unlock Ms. Maximoff's cell, to the point where Clint twitches forward presumably to hurry up the proceedings by doing it himself. Fortunately, Sam restrains him with a hand on his shoulder. Ms. Maximoff's bars swing free, but Ms. Maximoff does not emerge. 

"Wanda?" 

Clint's voice is tentative as he advances towards and into the cell. The warden – Zaleri, Pepper reminds herself – opens his mouth to protest, but one look from her is enough to silence him. 

"Wanda, hey. Look at me? We're getting out of here. Wanda?" 

It takes a minute, but Ms. Maximoff's eyes do focus. She looks at Clint quizzically, then looks over his shoulder, and gasps. 

"Vision?" 

"Wanda." Vision sounds terribly young and unsure. "I... regret that things ended up to land you here." 

"I..." Ms. Maximoff bursts into tears. Instantly Clint is there, gathering her into his arms and rocking her back and forth. 

Pepper turns her back to give them privacy. "Happy, if you could let the pilot know we're almost ready? We'll probably be a few minutes more while they take care of Ms. Maximoff." 

Happy nods, touches his earpiece. 

Not long after, Ms. Maximoff is collar- and straitjacket-free, though still frail, and they're making their way out of supermax. The plane requisitioned for the trip is ready and waiting, and Pepper doesn't hesitate before she sends Vision and his wards towards it. 

"Thank you, Mr. Zaleri, for your timely cooperation," she says to Zaleri, each word a block of ice as they fall from her lips. "May the next time we meet have an equally as fruitful an outcome." _For me, not you,_ she thinks. She smiles her best _go fuck yourself_ smile and walks away before Zaleri can respond and piss her off even more. 

She’s not fond of the Avengers, not after what’s happened between them and Tony, but this? No. They may have broken the law, but they don’t deserve this. No one deserves this. 

She’s going to raze the RAFT, and the people involved in running it ( **Ross** ), to the _ground._

**Author's Note:**

> Because we really believe Tony "All the World's Problems Are on Me" Stark would for one second let them rot long enough that Steve has to rescue them? No, I didn't think so. Tony may be petty, but he has a heart, dammit. A heart that was bruised to hell and back, but still, he has one.


End file.
